Chapter 32
Chapter thirty-two
February, Glendale
Arizona weather was perfect in February.
Shannon couldn’t be happier to be there while the temperatures were lower, cooler.
If they raced there in May, it would be like death.
Sweat poured off of him already, and he’d only managed to get through the track walk.
He still had to do a few practice runs, qualify, and then place in his heat, and then, the Main Event.
If he didn’t place in his heat, he’d have more races.
Shannon couldn’t worry about that. He aimed to win his heat and move easily to the Main Event.
He turned up his water bottle, not watching where he was walking, as he headed back to his pit. He bumped into someone. “Hey, watch it.”
“Fuck. You? Watch where you’re going, Parker.” The nasty words fell from none other than his prior teammate Cole Lindt’s mouth. Cole shoved him with a dare.
“Come on, man. We used to be buds, bro—”
“I was never your bro.” Cole crossed his arms over his chest.
Shannon flung his arm out, splashing the water. “Seriously. You know what I mean. We were friends until you turned into a pussy.”
“You know what? Just fuck off, Parker.” Cole turned to walk back the way he came, but Shannon didn’t want to let it go that easily.
“Nah, nah, man. Come on Cole. What the hell? You never even said why you backed down last season. We could have been a good team.”
Cole stopped and put his hands on his hips, and just stood there.
Shannon thought he was thinking about whether he wanted to keep acting like a pussy or not.
He was about to give up on the fucker, when Cole turned around.
Shannon couldn’t read the expression on his face.
Was he frustrated? Constipated? What? “Cole?”
“Yeah. The thing is...I thought you were cool. I didn’t want to have anything to do with them. I thought being gay meant they were, I don’t know, less than us? Less than men?”
“Right. That’s true. They’re pussies and if you want to hang out with them, you’re a pussy too.” He pointed a finger at Cole and gestured with his water bottle.
“Nope. You’re wrong. They’re just people. No different than you or me and they didn’t ask to be harassed—”
“The hell they did? Hanging out in back alleys with their pants down, groping each other. In fucking public. That’s asking for it.”
“Did you? Was that you?”
“Was what me?”
Cole shook his head. “I always wondered. I suspected it was, but I was never sure. Did you take that picture, Parker? Did you spread it all over?”
“What? That picture with McAllister’s hand down your boy’s pants.”
“He’s not my boy. Not then, not now.”
“See. You know. You get it.”
“The picture?”
Shannon couldn’t help his chest bowing up.
He’d snapped that picture and he was damn proud of it.
Proud of exposing their homo-asses. He had debated what to do that night.
He’d walked out the back door to take a leak, when the bathroom was full, and there they were.
All mackin’ on each other and shit, and feeling each other up.
Made him sick. Shannon had thought he would puke.
He’d wanted to beat the hell out of them, but then he thought that if they were exposed, it would run them out of Supercross, and that would be worse, especially for McAllister.
“Yeah. I did what I had to do. You know?”
“No. I don’t. That pretty much makes you the asshole of the year.”
“Dude?”
“No, dude...I don’t want to see that shit either, but what they do in private has got nothing to do with me. I don’t give a fuck. I want to beat McAllister on the track. Just like every other Supercross racer. On the track. Not with fists and violence. Not with low down dirty tricks—”
“You miserable shit. You just back-pedal your way out of it. You were in. You did just as much as I did.” He took an angry step toward Cole.
“No. I didn’t. And when I figured out how far you were willing to go, I backed the fuck off. Because that’s crazy and it’s criminal. And I’m not blowing my ride for you or anyone.”
Shannon took another step closer. Cole didn’t back down. “That’s bullshit. You’re bullshit.” Shannon shoved Cole’s shoulder. He wanted to beat his ass, make him pay. He wanted to shove his homo-loving face in the dirt.
Cole rolled with the shove and shook his head. “You’re so not even worth it, Parker. Just piss off and leave me the fuck alone.” He turned then, and started walking away.
Shannon flinched. He wanted to jump on Cole and beat his face in, but he couldn’t.
He needed a win. He needed to stay out of the media.
No drama. He’d placed in the top ten in the last race and he’d signed a contract.
If he wanted more money, he’d have to stay out of trouble.
Cole Lindt just wasn’t worth it. He needed that money, so he sucked it up and stormed off.